SSA Made $114 Million in Improper Payments to Spouses and Children of Beneficiaries, Audit Finds

SSA was recently found to have paid around $33 million in benefits to individuals listed as dead in New York state.

The Social Security Administration in Waycross, Ga., on Aug. 28, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The Social Security Administration (SSA) made around $114 million in improper payments to children and spouses of beneficiaries, the agency’s watchdog, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), said in a Sept. 18 audit report.

The Social Security Act limits the amount of benefits paid to children and spouses of retired, disabled, and deceased individuals. The maximum amount that can be paid to children or spouses of a beneficiary combined is referred to as the “family maximum,” said the report.